This page provides an overview of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) risks related to beef produced in Brazil.
The Brazilian beef sector has 210 million animals distributed over 170 million hectares. Livestock ranching covers 70% of area available for agriculture. Approximately 40 million animals were slaughtered in 2014 (10% sourced from feedlots) and this produced 10 million tons carcass equivalent of meat. 20% of this meat was exported.
The Brazilian Amazon includes 70 million hectares of pasture which expanded in a limited way in the past ten years. The Amazonian cattle herd consists of 82 million head of cattle. Between 1987 and 2013 the herd in the Amazon states increased by 280%, while elsewhere the Brazilian herd increased by 60%. To date, feedlots are not common practice in Brazil but are a growing trend. Most beef raised in the Amazon is slaughtered and processed inside the Amazon biome. Around a quarter of this slaughter takes place within the clandestine ‘unofficial/underground’ industry.
The absence of a robust traceability system for the cattle sector is the main issue linked with illegal farm establishment, management and trade of livestock.
A number of CSR risks are present in Brazilian beef supply chains. The risks are wide ranging and appear across the business, social and environmental areas. If you are sourcing beef from Brazil you should take care to ensure the extensive risks identified are not present in your supply chains, or have been sufficiently mitigated.
Score: 35 / 100 in 2018
Rank: 105 out of 180countries in 2018
Import restriction: After the ‘Weak Flesh Probe’ in 2016, these countries banned Brazilian beef. China and the EU (among others) have lifted the ban
There are currently no armed conflicts in Brazil according to the Council on Foreign Relations' Global Conflict Tracker.
According to the Uppsala Conflict Data Program there were 329 deaths from 2010-2017.
Information Gathering
Gather information on your supply chain
- Find out the different sources of beef
- Determine which source type your beef comes from
- Find out the main documents that can be used to indicate legality throughout the supply chain
Sources of beef
Beef source type | Description of source type |
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Calving ranches |
Beef from both pastoral and feedlot farming. Usually small size and low intensity. Farms are both subsistence and commercial. |
Fattening ranches |
Beef from both pastoral and feedlot farming. Typically, they are large in size and low intensity. A significant proportion of beef from Brazil comes from this source. |
Feedlot |
Beef from large, high intensity farms. The large number of animals, and significant flows makes regulation more difficult. Many animals are sourced from other farm types. |
Complete cycle |
Beef from pastoral farms. Generally they are large in size, medium in intensity and commercially focused. There is a better possibility of identifying animals individually and providing a traceability system. |
Documents to indicate legality
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Farm Level
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Processing, trade and transport
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Export and customs
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Risk Assessment
Assess the risks in your supply chain
- Find out the main environmental, social and legality risks
- Download the full risk assessment to see more detail
Main environmental, social and legality risks
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Business issues
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Conversion
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Social issues
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Environmental issues
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Animal welfare
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Traceability
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Risk Mitigation
Mitigate the risks in your supply chain
Learn which actions we recommended to mitigate the risks associated with the beef sources from Brazil
Mitigation recommendations
We have two tools to help you mitigate risks for Brazilian beef supply chains:
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The Supplier Evaluation Checklist for beef from Brazil will help you identify and specify the risks in your supply chain.
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The Risk Mitigation Guide gives you a detailed overview of risks in Brazil, and how to mitigate them.
The tools above give you the most information. Below is a summary of our recommended actions to mitigate the risks associated with the source types from Brazil.
1. Fully map your supply chain
- Our supply chain mapping tool can help you do this.
2. Obtain and verify documents
- Land tenure and business documents
- CAR - A Rural Environment Registry receipt / record (Protocolo / recibo do Cadastro Ambiental Rural)
- CCIR - Certificate of Registration of Rural Real Estate (Certificado de Cadastro do Imóvel Rural)
- ITR - Proof of Registration of the Territorial Institute (Comprovante de Cadastro do Instituto Territorial)
- Certificate of Deed of Entire Content of the Rural Real Estate (Certidão de Matrícula de Inteiro Teor do Imóvel Rural)
- CNDIR - Negative Certificate for Debts of the Rural Real Estate (Certidão Negativa de Débitos do Imóvel Rural)
- CNPJ Card Registration and Cadastral Situation of Legal Entity (Comprovante de Inscrição e de Situação Cadastral de Pessoa Jurídica)
- Registered or Notarized Lease, Partnership or Lending Agreement - Contrato de Arrendamento, Parceria ou Comodato Rural Registrado ou com firma reconhecida em cartório
- APF - Authorization for the Operation of Rural Activity (Autorização Provisória de Funcionamento de Atividade Rural)
- Records Free Prior Informed Consent and copies of negotiated agreements
- Tax related documents
- Confirm Individual or Corporate Taxpayers’ Registration Numbers (CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) /CNPJ (Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica))
- Certificate of Debt Relating to Federal Tax Credits and to Active Union Debt
- Fiscal bills of sale (Nota fiscal de venda do Produto) must include applicable sales taxes
- Receipts for payment sales taxes shall exist.
- Sales prices shall be in line with market prices.
- Employment-related documents
- The Social Security Employee website confirms all employees are registered and all relevant insurances are in place
- CAGED Statement - General Register of Employees and Unemployed (Cadastro Geral de Empregados e Desempregados)
- Collective Agreement recorded by Ministry of Labour and Employment (MTE - Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego)
- CNDT- Certificate of Negative Labor Debits (Certidão Negativa de Débitos Trabalhistas)
- Certificate of Negative Labor Lawsuits
- CRF- FGTS Regularity Certificate (Certificado de Regularidade do FGTS - Fundo de Garantia por Tempo de Serviço)
- CNDT - Certificate of Negative Labour Debits with the Federal Revenue Service);
- CTPS - Work and Social Security Booklet (Trabalho e Previdência Social)
- Employment contracts
- Evidence of insurance (National Social Security Institute (INSS - Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social)
- Salary payment receipts
- Policies and procedures confirming ILO Fundamental Conventions are upheld
- Health and Safety (H&S) related documents
- H&S Manager employee contract
- SSO – Occupation Health and Safety Training Procedures (Segurança e Saúde Ocupacional)
- PGSSMATR - Rural Work Safety, Health and Environment Management Program (Programa de Gestão de Segurança, Saúde e Meio Ambiente de Trabalho Rural (NR – 31))
- PPRA - Program for the Prevention of Environmental Risks (Programa de Prevenção de Riscos Ambientais (NR – 9))
- PCMSO - Program for the Medical Control of Occupational Health (Programa de Controle Médico e Saúde Ocupacional (NR – 7))
- Minutes of the CIPA/CIPATR - Internal Commission for the Prevention of Accidents of Rural Work (Comissão Interna de Prevenção de Acidentes do Trabalho Rural)
- ASO - Occupational Health Certificate (Atestado de Saúde Ocupacional)
- Labor Ministry Inspection Book (Livro de Inspeção do Trabalho)
- Environmental documents
- TCA - Environmental Commitment Term (Termo de Compromisso Ambiental);
- PRAD (Restoration of degraded areas projects if required by the Brazilian Forest Code)
- Grant of Right to Use Water Resources – if required (Outorga de Direito de Uso de Recursos Hídricos)
- The list of farms apprehended (black listed) by the federal government for illegally converting natural forests and ecosystems
- Map identifying the traditional communities close to the farms, in order to identify potential conflicts, especially for medium and large enterprises. Your supplier might be able to provide such a map. You can get a map of the location of indigenous lands here and one of the Quilombolas communities’ here. The Ministry of Environment’s website provides information on traditional communities
- Maps of protected areas confirm the farm is not in such an area
- Satellite time series images, to detect land change cover in the farm, to assess the risk of deforestation and PRAD (restored degraded areas) compliance. Some sources include:
- Global Forest Watch maps
- PRODES/INPE (high resolution)
- DETER/INPE (high resolution)
- Environmental License issued by IBAMA and endorsed by the legally competent agencies FUNAI - National Indigenous People Foundation (Fundação Nacional do Índio), FCP - Palmares Cultural Foundation (Fundação Cultural Palmares), IPHAN – Institute of National Historic and Artistic Heritage (Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional) where cattle ranches are near/in Indian Reserves
- CAR - Rural Environment Registry receipt / record (Protocolo / recibo do Cadastro Ambiental Rural)
- PRAD (Restoration of degraded areas projects if required by the Brazilian Forest Code)
- Biodiversity surveys and High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments
- Conversation/High Conservation Value (HCV) management plans
- Historical remote sensing imagery evidence to confirm no conversion of primary forest, peatlands and HCVs post 2008 (aligned with the new Forest Code changes)
- Information on conflicts, which can be found:
- In research of documented conflicts by Brazilian states
- In a report (2015) of well-known conflicts
- Company progress reports confirm compliance with the company's 2009 zero Amazon deforestation commitments (if buying from JBS, Marfrig or Minerva)
- Animal Welfare documents
- Carcass performance report from the Federal Inspection Service (SIF - Serviço de Inspeção Federal)
- Extract list of GTAs (Animals Transit Document (GTA) or Electronic Animal Transit Document - e-GTA) issued or received by the farm
- Traceability System report(s) demonstrating animal(s) farm of origin
- Fiscal Bill of sale
- Packing list of slaughter (from slaughterhouses)
- Check the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporters website indicates which slaughterhouses have a valid SIF certificate and are permitted to export
- Policy and procedures that demonstrates animal welfare is considered (for feedlot, fattening and calving ranches)
- Trade and transport documents
- Animals Transit Document (GTA) or Electronic Animal Transit Document - e-GTA
- Certificate of Debt Relating to Federal Tax Credits and to Active Union Debt
- Fiscal bill of sale (Nota fiscal de venda do Produto)
- Carcass performance report from the Federal Inspection Service - SIF. The Brazilian Association of Meat Exporters website indicates which slaughterhouses have a valid SIF certificate and are permitted to export
- CNPJ card (Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica)
- Electronic Invoice (NF-e); Nota Fiscal Eletrônica (NF-e)
- Auxiliary Document of the Electronic Invoice (DANFE); Documento Auxiliar da Nota Fiscal Eletrônica (DANFE)
- CT-e (Knowledge of Electronic Transport); Conhecimento de Transporte Eletrônico (CT-e)
- MDF-e (Electronic Manifest of Fiscal Documents);
- Auxiliary Document of the Electronic Manifest of Fiscal Documents (DAMDFE); Documento Auxiliar do Manifesto Eletrônico de Documentos
- Pro-forma invoice
- Export Registry – RE - issued and completed in SISCOMEX
- Packing list
- Export Declaration (DE)
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of origin
- Shipping certificate
3. Consult stakeholders
- Stakeholders confirm that registration of farm has been granted following legally prescribed processes
- Stakeholders confirm that legal status of the operation or rights for conducting the established activities are not subject to court orders or other legally established decisions to cease operations
- Staff at the Rural Environmental Registry System (SiCAR, Simistema Nacional de Cadastro Ambiental Rural, www.http://car.gov.br/publico/imoveis/index) verify the farm has a valid CAR status by checking its CAR registration number
- Neighbours, local communities, landowners and other stakeholders confirm that land tenure rights are clear and, where applicable, the lease of the land has been agreed by all the landowners
- Neighbours, local communities, landowners and other stakeholders confirm that thee are not any court orders or other legal decisions that mean that the company is not allowed to operate due to conflicts of land tenure
- Employees confirm that they are employed according to the regulations and required contracts
- Employees confirm that they:
- Are covered by mandatory insurance policies
- Hold certificates of competence required for the function that they perform
- Are paid a salary which is officially stated by the employer according to legal requirements
- Are above the minimum age for both soy farm activities and hazardous work
- Are paid at least the legally established minimum wage
- The Federal Reserve confirms that the operation is up-to-date in payment of applicable value-added taxes
- The NGO Reporter Brazil and/or the Transparency List on Slave Labor on the InPACTO website confirm that a supplier is not listed in the black list of slave labour
- Brazilian stakeholders such as WWF, Greenpeace Brazil, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) confirm that the company is meeting its 2009 zero Amazon deforestation commitments (if buying from JBS, Marfrig or Minerva)
4. Carry out on-site verification
- Confirm cattle ranches takes place within the authorized boundaries in accordance with the relevant licenses
- Confirm that the company has an occupational safety and health (OSH) management system and programme, and that a H&S officer position (required for large-scale plantations), training, procedures and equipment are in place
- Confirm all the Brazilian Forest Code requirements and environmental controls are implemented in the field
- Confirm that maps and remote sensing images for deforestation reflect reality
- Confirm that the company does not employ unregistered workers, either on probation, or who receive government benefits for the unemployed
- Confirm management plans for protected sites, species and High Conservations Values are implemented and monitored.
- Confirm that there was active consultation and/or a Free Prior Informed Consent process conducted and that there is a dispute-resolution mechanism in place
- Confirm that the supplier has documentation or a copy of a management plan that ensures required legally protected areas and species are safeguarded in accordance with the law:
- ICMBIO - Fauna Species
- Brazilian Forest Service - SNIF - National System of Forest Information on threatened species
- List of Endangered Species: Flora and Terrestrial Fauna
- Confirm animal welfare policy and procedures are implemented
- Confirm animal farm of origin on documentation is valid